Conversation Starters: Interests

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24, NASB).

What is something you're interested in? Do you know others with a similar interest?

For me, I love to run and I love Christ. As God becomes more a part of my life, I can see ways that He fits into the world we experience and decisions we make. As I have grown closer in my walk with God, I am drawn to sometimes pray while I run, and I can relate to passages about perseverance in the faith in the Bible. God is my strength, so He will help me press on as I run and in the faith. He offers forgiveness and renewal when I feel I've failed. He will give me wisdom when I need it (which comically can come in handy as things cross my path when I run in a park). When I don't run quite like I wanted to one day, then I know my God has grace and will be there with me the next time I try. All of those things relate so closely to my spiritual walk, I see, and so it is neat to get to talk about that with other runners.

What are some things that you are interested in? Is it business, art, family, technology, developing systems, entertainment, reading or exercise? Whatever it may be, how does God apply to it? How is He a part of that picture?

When you talk with others, ask them what their interests are. Try to find a common one, or listen to them as they share theirs. This is a great way to learn where someone is coming from. If you get to bring up how God works in our everyday lives, then you may get to share with someone about who Christ is.

God is a part of our lives, and so when others are open to sharing about life, then we may get to share about ours as well. Let's pray for the words to say and for a connection with others so that we can have these conversations.

Questions to think about:

• What are your interests? How does God relate to them? 
• What are your best friend's interests? How does God relate to them? 
• Is there someone you know now who doesn't know Christ, but that you have a common interest with?

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

Photo from www.runnersworld.com/masters-racing/price-competition.

Conversation Starters: Nature

"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have not storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable are you than the birds" (Luke 12:24, NASB).

Do you love the crisp air in fall or the beauty of new life that you see in spring? I used to have a professor who couldn't help but stop on vacations to take pictures of eroded rock formations as he took road trips with family. What stands out to you in God's creation? This can be a great way to start a conversation with someone, to share more about our Creator.

Nature can be simply striking. Its beauty tends to draw us in, and its intricacy can lead people to wonder about its designer. As life in unfolds around us, we can talk with others about how carefully and intelligently God made the world. He didn't just make everything and then walk away. He is ever-present, watching over every living thing, like the birds of the air. He desires a relationship with the people that He made in His image.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1, NASB).

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo by Keith Williams from www.birds.cornell.edu.

Conversations that Count: Challenge

"Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.' So the disciples were saying to one another, 'No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?' 

"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, life up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 

"Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor'" (John 4:31-38, NASB).

Sometimes, I think it can take me a while to see an opportunity to share my faith. I live in a huge city, and I can run across so many people in a day. There are so many things to do in a day, and most of the time, I truly enjoy doing them. How long do I take a moment, though, to pray and notice others around me who may need God? This is a question I'd like to ask myself more regularly.

Even though we may be slow learners at times, take heart in knowing that God is love, and love is patient and kind. We have a wise and all-knowing Father God who knows what's going on inside us as well as in the world around us. We can come to Him with our prayers, knowing that what is asked in faith will be heard.

Let us pray that God opens our eyes more and that he helps us be aware of people who may not know Him yet. Let us pray that we can encourage others and help them see God, who loves us and wants to transform our lives for the better, into a deep, real relationship with Him.

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

Conversations that Count: Celebrating Conversion

"So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 'Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?' They went out to the city, and were coming to Him...

"From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things that I have done.' 

"So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world'" (John 4:28-30, 39-42; NASB).

The inspiring thing to me about this woman is the way she responded to meeting Jesus. She clearly had been changed. She had met the Promised One, and when she realized it, she was thrilled to share about Him with others.

What a joyful moment! She was filled with joy at the thought that this could be the Messiah who had come to save. I pray that we have joy like that.

Let us pray we remember the purpose in sharing our faith with others so that one day, they will meet Christ and have joy like that, too. We can pray others also find joy in knowing who God is and what He's done for us all on the cross and through the Resurrection. May we all find joy in knowing just what it's like to have this relationship of reconciliation and fellowship with our wise Maker and Savior.

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

Conversations that Count: Confession

"The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.'

"Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He'" (John 4:25-26, NASB).

I would have loved to see the look on this woman's face when Jesus told her that He is the Messiah. Do you remember the first time you realized and received Christ as the Messiah, the Lord who came to earth to save the world?

Jesus made a confession of His identity. Where are our roots, and where do we get our water?

Our confession as believers was made to Christ to receive forgiveness, that we are sinners in need of God. We can make this same confession to others, that God has since forgiven us from our sins and our debts were paid on the cross for those sins. Now, we aren't perfect - we are still human. As believers, God is still working in us. Yet, God has given us this forgiven, new life with Him as a part of His family. He walks with us, guides us and helps re-align us as we continue our relationship with Him.

This Easter season, you may get the chance to invite someone to church. It may help you start a conversation on where your hope is from. We can live with hope and peace because we know and believe that Christ loved us, died for us and forgave us. His forgiveness has covered us, and that is what makes the cross so wonderful. A cross is a symbol of death and condemnation, but Christ turned it into something beautiful as He paid the price for our sins and suffered on one.

No matter where we are at the moment, as believers, we know that having this mended relationship with God is the best thing we have going for us. We have a God who is always there for us, who loves us unconditionally and who suffered in our place, taking victory over sin's hold. Our strength and peace comes from Him, even in challenging or tough situations.

Let us share our faith in Him, His love for the world and how He came to save it. Our confession has helped us, and it could help someone else as well.

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).

Please Share A Prayer!

Please Share A Prayer!

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21

As we read Ephesians 3:14-21, that is listed above, we are excited that these are some of the scripture verses that Gifted2Go is based on.  Let's "bow our knees before the Father" and share the GIFT of PRAYER with Jaye Martin and her team as Jaye Martin Ministries, HeartCall, & Gifted2Go are launched in the month of April and throughout 2013!!

• Please Pray for Jaye, her family, and Jaye Martin Ministries (JMM) as the JMM Website will be launched very soon in April 2013
• Please Pray as HeartCall is refreshed, republished, relaunched, & shared across our nation & world 
• Please Pray as Gifted2Go is published, launched, & shared across our nation & world
• Please Pray as God raises up evangelistic leaders, trainers, and team members for JMM
• Please Pray as God raises up churches that are being led by Him to host a training and share Jesus using HeartCall and Gifted2Go  
• Please Pray that God will take care of the hundreds of other things that need to be done in His timing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlwEzPurnXk (As We PRAY! Edgewood Live)

"Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you..." Hebrews 13:7a (hcsb)

Conversations that Count: Change

"'Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.' 

Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth'" (John 4:20-24, NASB). 

At this point in the story of Jesus talking with the woman at the well, Jesus could have gone into a lengthy conversation about the differences in their religious practices. Instead, He changed the conversation from one about religion into one about the relationship she could have with the Father.

There were many differences between Jews (like Jesus) and Samaritans (like this woman) in that day. Samaritans had some practices that were uncommon to Jewish folk, and some customs and ways they worshiped God were different. Yet, Jesus decided to continue the conversation and focus the discussion on this woman's relationship with God.

If someone does not know Jesus as their Savior, then how would they follow Him?
If someone does not genuinely believe that God is who He says He is, then should they be expected to love God?

This woman needed a life change, but Jesus saw that this would happen through a relationship with Him where she finds her life in God. Our faith in Jesus, this relationship we have with God and the Holy Spirit's power from Him is what enables us to grow and mature in living for Him. Let us approach others with this same consideration, helping them see the importance of a relationship with God made possible by the lovingkindness and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).